Katdish.net

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I don’t talk politics much on this blog, but bear with me, please.

For months and months, we’ve been seeing news stories about the republican hopefuls. Candidates would enjoy brief periods of popularity only to lose momentum and drop out of the race. And while it seems that Mitt Romney is the assumed eventual winner, it also seems that no one is particularly excited about the possible eventuality of a President Romney. Or a re-elected President Obama for that matter. I sense a collective, “Meh…” from the masses.

Against my better judgement, I began my Thursday morning by turning on the news. Top news story: Despite earlier reports that Mitt Romney won the Iowa caucus by a razor thin margin, it turns out that the actual winner was Rick Santorum.

Santorum jumped through every hoop possible to win Iowa. Out-financed by Romney and others, his grass roots campaign included personal appearances in each of Iowa’s 90 counties. He should have been declared the winner. He’s declaring himself the winner. But unfortunately for him, it’s too little too late, and whatever boost this news may have garnered him was quickly eliminated by Rick Perry’s announcement that he will suspend his campaign two days before the South Carolina primary and endorse Newt Gingrinch for president.

This guy can’t catch a break.

With the latest polls showing Santorum dead last in South Carolina (with the exception of Perry, who’s out anyway) and his donations dwindling, I don’t foresee him staying in the race much longer. I could be wrong. It’s been known to happen.

Maybe a victory in Iowa would have changed the momentum of the race.

Maybe tentative donors would have been convinced to give Santorum some cash which would have paid for more ads in South Carolina.

Maybe.

But maybe never happened. Despite his best efforts in Iowa, despite his apparent win which he wasn’t credited for, none of that matters now. Through no fault of his own, the might-have-been tipping point was missed.

Like many Americans, I am still firmly in the “undecided” category. Having said that, I feel bad for Rick Santorum. Really bad.

When we decide we want something–truly, deeply desire something, we cross our t’s and dot our i’s. We do everything within our control to attain what we seek and what we desire.

But the frustrating thing about life is that so much of it is beyond our control.

And it’s so unfair sometimes.

Like what happened to Santorum in Iowa, things just happen and there’s not a damn thing we can do about it.

I suppose the key is recognizing what we can control and what we can’t

To think we have no control over anything is a cop out.

To think we have control over everything is delusional and asshole-ish.

To say God is in control? Okay, yeah. but again, that doesn’t mean we have no responsibility.

How do we know where that line between our control and beyond our control lies?

I guess that’s the sixty-four thousand dollar question.

Or whatever that is adjusted for inflation…

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Monday night:

Daughter: My speech and posters for 5th grade class president are due Wednesday.

Me: Wednesday, as in the day after tomorrow?

Daughter: Yes. I thought it was next week. Sorry.

Me: (deep breathy sigh) Okay. We’ll pick up poster board tomorrow after school and after your piano lesson. Have you thought about what you want your posters to say? Have you thought about what you’re going to say in your speech?

Daughter: No. Not yet. I’ll be thinking about that tomorrow at school.

Me: Yes. Please do. You probably should have gotten these things done already.

Daughter: I know, Mom. I will.

Tuesday Afternoon:

Me: We need to stop by the drug store and get poster board for your posters. Do you have a theme or an idea for what you want them to say? What about your speech? Have you decided what you want to say?

Daughter: No. I’m still thinking about it.

Me: Everything is due tomorrow. I hate doing things at the last minute. Let’s talk about your speech. Why do you want to be class president?

Daughter: Well, that’s what I’ve been thinking about.

Me: (deep, breathy sigh)

By Tuesday night, we had decided on a campaign slogan for the posters: “A doggone good choice for president”, complete with a picture of the candidate holding a rather terrified looking Buddy Love the dog in her arms, and finished said posters. The photo shoot took longer than expected, as the dog was being rather uncooperative:

All that remained was writing a one minute speech.

She needed to communicate why she wanted to be president and why she would be worthy of her classmate’s vote. Because it’s not enough to want to be president, you have to have something to offer and reason for wanting to offer it. Despite my earlier reservations, I was rather proud of the speech she wrote. I’ll share a portion of it with you:

“I have enjoyed attending this school since my first year here in kindergarten. I have benefitted greatly from the hard work and dedication of the teachers, staff and volunteers. This year, I would like the opportunity to give back to this place which has given me so much.”

I think that’s what public service is all about. Or at least what it should be about. I think President Kennedy said it best when he said those famous words:

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Somehow, I think many Americans don’t take those words to heart anymore. And that’s a shame.

It is, after all,

“We the people”,

not

“Me the people”.

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Did you see this?

Let’s put aside for a moment that MSNBC dares to call itself a news station when they chose five liberals to cover a historic national election. Nevermind that they acted like a group of giggly school children instead of a seasoned, respected group of unbiased folks who are supposed to report the news. One could make the argument that Fox News Channel is dominated by conservative views and CNN is dominated by their liberal counterparts. But in defense of both networks, they had representatives from both the democratic and republican points of view. They differentiated between opinion and fact. Which is exactly what they should do.

I suppose NBC decided they had nothing to lose, since Comcast has bought the network and is fixing to clean house, but as annoying as all of this is to me, what really bothers me is the blatent disrespect Matthews has for anyone who doesn’t share his political views.

Regardless of his personal feelings for Congresswoman Bachmann, she is a seated member of the Congress of the United States of America. Furthermore, she is a human being. Whatever happened to good manners? Respect for the office? I don’t always agree with the decisions or even the rhetoric of elected officials on either side of the aisle, but that doesn’t give me permission to attempt to publicly humiliate those I don’t agree with. You can’t knowingly set out to steal someone else’s dignity without losing some of your own.

As to his denial of the “tingly leg” comment — He never said that, huh?

Okay, thrill…not tingle. I stand corrected. Yes, Mr. Matthews. You are completely objective.

I long for the days when rude behavior was frowned upon rather than celebrated…

“I hate rude behavior in a man. I won’t tolerate it.”
~ Gus McCrae, Lonesome Dove

(Or, the obligatory inauguration post)

I did not vote for Barack Obama, but he is my president. We the people have spoken and now President Obama is about to make history. While I take issue with those who say that he will be the first black president, he is clearly a man of color, and he is clearly the President of the United States of America. I take issue with the claim that he is the first black president because, being bi-racial myself (half white/half Asian), I cannot imagine disavowing any part of my heritage in order to fit a profile (even though many past employers have strongly encouraged me to do so), and while some of his handlers may have done this, I don’t believe Barak Obama has, nor would he do the same. But I digress…

I have prayed for, and will continue to pray for Mr. Obama, as the pressures and responsibilities that have been placed upon his shoulders are unimaginable to me. I have been encouraged by some of his cabinet selections and his willingness to bring people of different viewpoints into the fold. I will not, nor will I buy into the “cult of personality” that the mainstream media has created. I have but one Savior. Nor will I engage in the politics of personal destruction as so many pundits from the far left and right have often gleefully participated in. And while you could argue that there are few things that I would NOT make fun of, the office of the president demands and deserves respect, regardless of your personal feelings for the person who holds said office. Late night comedians and shows like Saturday Night Live make their living off of satirizing people in political office. While much of it is very funny, it has often crossed the line and become entirely too personal and down right cruel. My hope is that ALL of us, regardless of our political leanings and/or affiliations, would remember the words of Dr. King as we begin a new era in The United States of America:

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

Amen, Dr. King. We’ve come a long way, but there is still much work to be done. Having said that, I am very proud to be an American, and I am grateful for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the freedoms I often take for granted, including writing this silly little blog.